Hosier Lane is the most famous and most photographed, with legal graffiti walls that change constantly. It sits just off Flinders Street, an easy walk from the CBD.
Discover Authentic Melbourne: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
Recommended by the team at Mercure Welcome Melbourne. That's the starting point for this guide: not a stock list of attractions, but the Melbourne picks our own teams make when guests ask what to actually do here. Below, you'll find those recommendations, an interactive map, and the questions travellers ask us most before a stay.
Our map pins nine of their favourite spots, from an Aboriginal Heritage Walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens to St Kilda Beach and the Yarra Valley wineries, alongside seven Mercure hotels across the city.
Top 5 Things to Do in Melbourne
Degraves Street
A narrow laneway packed with tiny cafes spilling tables onto the cobblestones. This is where Melbourne's coffee obsession lives — order a flat white and watch the city walk past at eye level.
Hosier Lane
Wall-to-wall street art that changes constantly, layered spray paint over spray paint. Come with no plan and just look up — some of the best pieces are on the walls you'd otherwise walk straight past.
Queen Victoria Market
Melbourne's oldest market, running since the 1870s, with produce halls, deli stalls and a Wednesday night market in summer with food trucks and live music. Go hungry and graze your way through.
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
One of the world's largest cricket grounds and the spiritual home of Australian Rules football. Even outside match days, the stadium tour walks you through the members' areas and the sport museum.
Chapel Street
A strip of fashion boutiques set inside 19th-century buildings in South Yarra, mixing independent designers with trend-setting restaurants. It's a longer trip from the CBD but worth it for an afternoon of browsing.
Explore Melbourne's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Melbourne
We've mapped local spots around Melbourne, from First Peoples culture and seaside fun to Yarra Valley wine.
Culture & First Peoples
Aboriginal Heritage Walk, Royal Botanic Gardens
A 90-minute walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens, led by a First Peoples guide. Expect cultural stories, history and an introduction to the native plants around you. Walks leave from the Visitor Centre; booking is essential, and private group tours are available.
Royal Botanic Gardens, a short walk or tram ride from Flinders Street station · Guided walk, 1.5 hours · Perfect for culture and history
Kinya Lerrk & Co
A gallery and shop in Preston owned by Aboriginal artists Emma Bamblett and Megan Van Den Berg. Browse their prints of Australian animals and plants, plus homewares, clothing, books and bush foods from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brands – a souvenir that gives back.
Preston, about 30 minutes' drive north of the CBD · Art gallery and shop · Made for meaningful souvenirs
Sights & experiences
Melbourne Skydeck
Melbourne from 88 floors up. Step into the Edge, a glass cube jutting out over the streets below, or try the 6D virtual-reality theatre. Bar 88 serves food and drinks, and Eureka 89 offers tasting menus above the city lights. Open daily; tickets are usually cheaper online.
Southbank · Observation deck · Great for first-time visitors, couples and families
Melbourne Cricket Ground tour
Cricket internationals, AFL grand finals, the Olympics, big concerts – the MCG has seen them all. A guided tour takes you into the changing rooms, the players' viewing areas and the MCC Long Room, then out along the boundary line. Go premium to add the Australian Sports Museum.
Yarra Park · Stadium tour · Made for sports fans
Melbourne Zoo
Native species live in Australian bushland enclosures here, so you can get close to kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, emus and wombats – maybe even a quokka. Elephants, giraffes, big cats and gorillas too, with keeper talks and bookable encounters such as the koala exhibit.
Parkville, about 20 minutes from the city centre by Tram 58, bus 505 or the Upfield line · Zoo · Great for families
Beach & seaside
St Kilda Beach
Sand, palm trees and a long promenade on Port Phillip Bay. Jog the beachfront, try kitesurfing or jet skiing, fish from St Kilda Pier or picnic on the grass. Come evening, the suburb's cafés, European patisseries and bars come alive.
St Kilda, about 30 minutes by tram from central Melbourne · Beach · Perfect for families, outdoor activities and nightlife
Luna Park Melbourne
Entertaining families by the sea since 1912. Walk through the giant grinning face to find the world's oldest continuously operating roller coaster, a heritage-listed carousel of hand-painted horses, dodgems, a ghost train and gentler rides for little ones.
St Kilda, next to the beach, reachable by tram · Amusement park · Great for families
Food & wine
Yarra Valley wineries
A short drive from Melbourne, more than 70 wineries known for cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, with restaurants cooking seasonal local produce. Book a tour with tastings, lunch and transport, or drive yourself and pick your cellar doors.
Yarra Valley, an easy day trip from Melbourne · Winery tour · Made for wine and food lovers
Neighbourhood Wine
A cosy Fitzroy North wine bar and restaurant with vintage decor and a terrace. The menu changes daily, the list runs to around 800 wines with a lean towards low-intervention 'lo-fi' winemaking – and yes, ask about the bottomless-wine long lunch and the Sunday roast.
Fitzroy North · Wine bar and restaurant · Perfect for dinner and wine lovers
FAQ
Yes — Melbourne's Chinatown on Little Bourke Street is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the Western world and is packed with restaurants ranging from quick yum cha to sit-down banquets.
On foot and without a fixed route. The laneways branching off Bourke Street and Flinders Lane hold most of the hidden cafes, bars and street art, and they're best discovered by wandering rather than following a map.
Join the 90-minute Aboriginal Heritage Walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens, led by a First Peoples guide (booking essential). For art and souvenirs, visit Kinya Lerrk & Co in Preston, a gallery and shop owned by Aboriginal artists.
Yes. It's a short drive from the city and has more than 70 wineries specialising in cool-climate wines, many with restaurants serving seasonal local produce. Package tours include tastings, lunch and return transport.
St Kilda is about 30 minutes from central Melbourne by tram. Spend the day on the beach and promenade, fish from St Kilda Pier, ride the historic roller coaster at Luna Park, then explore the cafés, patisseries and bars. Mercure Melbourne Albert Park is the closest hotel on our map.
Where to Sleep in Melbourne
Seven Mercure hotels appear on our map, so you can stay close to the spots you most want to see:
- Mercure Welcome Melbourne — on Little Bourke Street in the CBD, a tram ride from the Royal Botanic Gardens, the MCG and Southbank.
- Mercure Melbourne Therry Street — in the CBD, handy for trams across the city.
- Mercure Melbourne Southbank — in Southbank, close to Melbourne Skydeck.
- Mercure Melbourne Albert Park — the nearest base for St Kilda Beach and Luna Park.
- Mercure North Melbourne — a short trip to Melbourne Zoo in Parkville.
- Mercure Melbourne Doncaster — in the eastern suburbs, on the way to the Yarra Valley.
- Mercure Melbourne Caroline Springs — in the western suburbs, best for travellers with a car.